Wichita eagle., 1887-06-15
OUR SPLENDID GIRLS.
HOW THE YOUNG MEN OF THE DAY
COMPARE WITH THEM.

COMPARE WITH THEM.
Up and Down Fifth Avenue-A Mag
nificent Specimen of American Woman.
Figure of Dude-Athletics.
Some Sunday afternoon, take walk
up Fifth avenue and then down again.
Make it the afternoon. At noon, when
the church goers have just been released
from church, the pavement is SO crowded
that you see no more than moving mass
of colors, which bewilders the eye and
overwhelms the perceptions. You will
see hundred people you know on the way
up and another hundred on the way down.
And they come along in convenient
struggling procession so that you can nod
to them if you have nodding acquaint-
ance, or stop to shake hands if the rela-
tons existing are a little closer and more
friendly.
Gen. Sherman, Tom Ochiltree, Addison
Cammack, Kyrle Bellew, the Hon. Will
liam T. Cody, the Marquis de Mores, Larry
Jerome are interesting, to be sure, and
suggest reflections of all shades, grave and
gay, but this magnificent looking girl who
swings along at four mile gait is not
only subject for reflection, she is theme
for admiration, for congratulation, for
tenderness. and the sight of her sends ten
thousand new impulses through the mind
and heart.
This is American womanhood.
Not the American womanhood of Wash
ington Irving's day, when fiimSy dresses
were in style, which were dampened at
night to make them cling closely to the
form, and when shoes with paper soles
were in general favor, and the DOMINIC of
them was as good as a cordial invitation
to the pneumonia. No; those were the
days, not only of meagre brains, but OF
diseased and dyspeptic stomacbs, hesitat-
ing hearts, pinched cheeks and fragile
limbs. American wOmanhoOd of the past
was ghost.
A GLORIOUS SIGHT.
This is the American womanhOOd Of to-
day, and even more truly of the future,
heaven be praisedl Look at the cosy
cheeks, the sparkling eyes, the shoulders
thrown back, the firm and certain STEP
Notice how well nourished the cheeks are,
how deep and true the inspirations, and
how plump and well rounded the arms
which taper down to the well gloved
hands. Is it not glorious sight? There
is no chance Tor paper soled shoes here.
Broad, substantially soled button boots
cover the handsome, muscular feet, and
in place of the tawdry costume whose
likeness is preserved for us by dozens of
old engravingS, here we have a neat and
well made cloth suit, which fits the own
er's form to perfection. Can anything be
more satisfactory to the eye than this
pictur. of honest health, of alert though
not perhaps of subtle intelligence and
womanly beauty? There may be no sug
gestion of sentimentality here, nothing Of
what everyday novelists call poetry, and
there is 10 romantic melancholy, but,
without any sacrifice of womanlineSs,
there is grace, and, above all, there are
life and strength.
But what is this? What is this slim,
puny, thin faced, toddling, lettering little
figure who emphasizes by sheer force of
contrast the strength and the color of this
girl with the greyhound-like movement?
Well, it's American manhood, or, per-
haps, to be exactly just, it is one aspect Of
it. No, that cane is not SO heavy as it
looks. If it were so, this example of
American manhood could not carry it. If
he took his gloves off, you would see q
couple of heavy gold rings putting to
shame the attenuation of his fingers. His
hat, as you see, threatens to eXtinguish
him. The cape of his overcoat over his
narrow shoulders looks like the cape of
Good Hope. Compare his dull, weary
eyes with the sparklers which blaze in
the girls head. Compare their cheeks
without putting them together. Look at
his mincing toddle and look at her stride.
Compare their figures. But there is no
comparison. They cannot be compared
any more than can wine and water, or the
pale and sickly moon that fronts the
dawn with the respondent queen of night.
But" you ask, 'what about these ath
letic clubs whereof we hear SO much!
How is it that they do not serve to build
up these sickly forms? The gymnasiums
are resorted to. Athletics are the fash
ion.''
THE INSIDE FACTS.
All this is true, but only true in part.
The gymnasiums are resorted to, but very
much as the theatres are. The youth of
the day goes to see others exercise just as
he goes to see others act on the stage. AS
q matter of theory, he knows great deal
more about jumping and running, wrest
ling and boxing than the youth of 10 or Is
years ago did. He is learned in technical
terms and is educated as a critic, but as
performer he is nowhere His enthusiasm
for the athletics is the enthusiasm which
arranges and supports private smuggling
He pays $50 apiece for them
And when he expresses disappointment
that the mill has not been lively enough.
the slugger replies:
Il know what youse young fellers
want. Yer want blood, and yer can't |
have blood for less than $50
This is the kind of enthusiasm for
athletics which is rampant. 1t is the kind |
which prompts the youth with no chest
and legs to stay up all night and pay SIS |
to discover at dawn the next morning. |
thirty or forty miles away from his warm |
little bed. that the great fight between |
Jack and Jill for 5000 n side will not |
take place, information WHICH he can buy |
with his evening paper fSf two cents. |
And it is this enthusiasm which keeps the |
of the athletic clubs up to |
high figures But out of every hundred |
about five use the appliances in |
the gymnasium and ninety-fve watch |
them do it'll. 5. Hewitt in New York |
los onJ l-x--,yacs